


Cold

by Nelioe



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sibling Incest, almost freezing to death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 10:58:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7799134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nelioe/pseuds/Nelioe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a fight with Fíli, Kíli finds himself lost in a blizzard. Kíli is certain, there is no way he's going to survive this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vickymaus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vickymaus/gifts).



> This was written a while ago for the dear Vicky and is now ready to be shared. :3

 

 

Kíli had never been so cold in his life. He regretted the fight with Fíli now. Sure it was the first time he and Fíli were sent on a journey to another dwarven settlement in the Blue Mountains on behalf of Thorin and yes, Kíli hated to be treated like a child, seeing his brother act like a bossy prince. Now that he sat here, though, huddled under a tree, trying to protect himself from the icy gale, he couldn’t help but wonder if Fíli had perhaps spoken from experience and wasn’t trying to baby him, like Kíli had accused him.

The realisation hit him too late. He had run out, actually planning to shoot them something for dinner and was now stuck in a blizzard. Winding the coat tighter around his shaking form wasn’t helping against the bite of the cold. Kíli shivered. If he’d just listened to Fíli. His brother had known the weather would change, but Kíli, in his urge to prove himself, had ignored him, twisted the blond’s appropriate concern into despotic behaviour.

He felt ashamed. It was his own lack of foresight putting him into this situation. He’d just wanted to prove himself, to Thorin, Dwalin, their settlement… but most of all to Fíli. Had wanted to show his brother that he was a reliable companion, that he was trustworthy and ready for more tasks outside of their home. Instead he’d revealed his own immaturity and was most likely going to pay for it with his life.

Kíli couldn’t feel his toes anymore.

The storm continued. Raging and howling. Limiting the visibility and driving snowflakes like little icy shards into his eyes, whenever the brunet tried to look for help. It was stupid. No one was coming. Fíli wouldn’t even know where to look for him. He was certainly waiting in the cave they had set up camp, sitting in front of a warm fire.

Kíli could almost feel it, he just needed to imagine it hard enough. A small smile crept to his numb lips. That was good. Fíli shouldn’t be out here, shouldn’t suffer for the mistake of another. Fíli should be safe and warm… yes…

Another gust of icy air hit him, creeping under his clothes, barely protecting him, and sending a violent shiver down his spine. He was so cold.

The image was gone, leaving him alone and freezing to death, back pressed against a trunk that didn’t offer any shelter.

Oh, what he would give for a chance to apologise to his brother.

Closing his eyes, tired of the gale and snow hurting him, Kíli tried to distract himself from his desperate situation. He let his mind wander, thought of the hearth at home, with their mother humming while stitching the holes in their tunics. He could smell the tangy scent of pipe tobacco Thorin was smoking. Saw Fíli sharpening his knives, chuckling while Kíli cursed at the homework Balin had given him and which the youngest always postponed until it was almost too late. Fíli loved teasing him, although Kíli could always count on his big brother to help him with it, whenever Kíli got stuck. He could almost hear him…

_“Move over, Kí-“_

“-li!”

Kíli frowned. The storm had once more interrupted his imagination. This time almost sounding like-

“Kíli!”

He needed a moment to realise that the tremors rocking his body weren’t coming from the cold anymore, but because someone was shaking him violently.

“Wake up, for Mahal’s sake! I swear if you don’t open your eyes this second-“

“Fee?” he slurred in confusion.

Huh… what was going on? This wasn’t right… Fíli should be safe at home… or… where were they?

“Yes!” the cry sounded strangely distorted… almost choked. “Come on! Get up!”

Kíli didn’t want to get up. He was exhausted and so immensely tired. He’d never been this tired before.

Fíli, though, wasn’t taking no as an answer, pulling him onto his feet and dragging him along, the younger’s stiff body hardly able to stumble along.

Everything afterwards passed in a blur. Sometimes Kíli could feel his knees buckle, protesting against the weight they were supposed to carry through the slippery snow, while the wind tugged at his clothes, increasing the shivers until Kíli’s head hurt from the force of his chattering teeth. However, regardless how often he stumbled, Fíli never let him fall, simply tightening his hold around him and urging him with soft words to keep moving. His voice was often drowned by the howling wind and still Kíli believed to miss not even a single syllable of love and encouragement.

He kept going. Stayed awake the whole way back… wherever back was…

Then there was fumbling. Already half asleep, he felt his brother moving him, turn him onto his side, lean him against something, all while tugging at his clothes…

The warmth of a fire…

Skin against skin…

A blanket…

Fíli’s breathing right next to his ear…

Hands rubbing over his skin, the blanket not once slipping…

Warmth… so much warmth… the storm was gone… the howling distant… the crackling of the fire and Fíli his only companions.

He sighed softly as he pressed his cold nose into the crook of his brother’s neck.

“You’ s’warm, Fee,” Kíli slurred happily.

A tender kiss brushed his temple. Brief, but so full of love Kíli instantly felt at home, as it overlaid the nascent tingling and itching in his limbs.

“Shh, don’t talk,” Fíli whispered tenderly.

The exhaustion was catching up with him fast, causing him to close his eyes and to fall asleep in his brother’s gentle embrace.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

When he awoke again it was dark outside. No soft hue of light falling into the cave, only the fire illuminated them. Kíli blinked for a couple of times, trying to remember what had happened. Stirring slightly, in an attempt to look around, the person he was leaning against tightened their hold around him and it came all rushing back. The blizzard. His foolishness. Fíli’s bravery.

He shuddered at the thought that Fíli could’ve died out there looking for him. One of his hands came up to grasp the one of his brother, resting at his waist. He squeezed it as the guilt made his cheeks burn with shame.

A feather-light kiss was pressed against his temple, the lips not moving away from their new found spot as Fíli quietly began to speak, brushing over skin and hair:

“How do you feel?”

“I’m alright,” Kíli answered, his own voice barely above a whisper, fearing it might crack with the anger he was feeling at himself, should he decide to raise it.

“I thought I lost you, when I found you under that tree.”

Closing his lids with anguish, Kíli swallowed hard. He had been such a fool. Thinking he knew the world better than his brother, who’d seen much more of it.

“I’m so sorry, Fee,” he breathed. “I should’ve listened to you.”

“It’s all right. I’ve been too harsh.”

“You had good reasons to, you know of the dangers, it was wrong of me to question your judgement.”

“I could’ve phrased it better.”

Kíli huffed.

“Mahal, Fíli! I’m admitting you were right, can’t you just accept that?”

Fíli chuckled at the half-hearted outburst and began to stroke Kíli’s side tenderly, where the younger wasn’t holding on to him. The brunet sighed into the touch, enjoying the warmth of Fíli’s skin against his.

“I’m sorry, I was so scared. You were barely responsive. I just… I thought…,” he couldn’t bring himself to finish it, but he didn’t need to.

Kíli’s throat felt uncomfortably tight. The same fears had attacked him just after awakening. That his foolish decision had risked his brother’s life.

Turning slightly, so he was able to meet the other’s eyes, Kíli’s arm snuck from under the blanket. Cupping Fíli’s cheek and stroking a thumb over his beard, savouring the sensation, his lips began to quiver at the sight of what he could’ve lost. He was so lucky Fíli was still here with him, that Fíli had found him, that they were still together and vowed to himself to never treat the sweetest thing in his life so carelessly again.

“I know,” he replied. “But I’m here. You saved me.”

His fingers slid along Fíli’s cheek, to his chin, until they reached one of his moustache-braids, giving it a gentle tug, he urged his brother to tilt his head, allowing Kíli to catch his lips in a tender kiss.

 

 


End file.
